Aboriginal Housing & Community Intervention Policies
The Federal Government introduced changes to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act to facilitate the more productive use of land previously locked up by the initial legislation.
In conjunction with the Traditional Owners of the land, the legislative changes were designed to encourage indigenous residents within the Aboriginal communities to achieve private ownership of their houses and to promote commercial development within the communities.
EJA has worked closely with the Australian Government agency FaHCSIA (Families Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) to develop the framework and process for 99 year leases of the communities and subsequent sub-leases that can be offered to the individual residents.
The framework
development required EJA to consult with Australian and NT Government
representatives and Traditional Owners in order to ensure that the
objectives of the legislation complied with NT planning and surveying
regulations.
EJA personnel developed a procedure for the survey of the 99 year head
lease areas and their representation by survey plan.
The Australian Government also introduced new legislation associated with the intervention policies for Aboriginal communities to deal with child abuse in the communities.
In order to implement the policies, a procedure was required to physically define the intervention areas.
EJA, in conjunction with Australian Government representatives, Traditional Owners and legal consultants developed the procedure for the defining the areas and the survey of community infrastructure. The procedures developed by EJA have been applied to communities throughout the NT and they continue to be utilised by a range of survey consultants as part of the Australian Government’s intervention actions.
